Python is a free, open source, easy-to-use software tool that offers a
significant alternative to proprietary packages such as MATLAB and
Mathematica. This book covers everything the working scientist needs to
know to start using Python effectively. The author explains scientific
Python from scratch, showing how easy it is to implement and test
non-trivial mathematical algorithms and guiding the reader through the
many freely available add-on modules. A range of examples, relevant to
many different fields, illustrate the program's capabilities. In
particular, readers are shown how to use pre-existing legacy code
(usually in Fortran77) within the Python environment, thus avoiding the
need to master the original code. Instead of exercises the book contains
useful snippets of tested code which the reader can adapt to handle
problems in their own field, allowing students and researchers with
little computer expertise to get up and running as soon as possible.